A day after warning, Chandigarh parks wear a deserted look

UT adviser Manoj Parida had tweeted a warning after that police personnel on the lookout for violators in city parks were facing difficulty in handling VIPs, who would indulge in name-calling and resort to threats if stopped from taking walks

A day after the UT adviser took to Twitter to issue a stern warning of exposing ‘VIPs’ found walking in parks amid curfew, the parks in the city on Thursday wore a deserted look.

Police presence was noted in Sector 9, Chandigarh, on Thursday, and a few persons found walking were let off after a warning. (Keshav Singh/HT)

The houses of notable bureaucrats from Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh and judges of Punjab and Haryana high court are located in the northern sectors of the city. The reaction from adviser Manoj Parida was a result of the fact that police personnel on the lookout for violators in city parks were facing difficulty in handling VIPs, who would indulge in name-calling and resort to threats if stopped from taking walks.

This Hindustan Times correspondent visited the Bougainvillea Garden in Sector 2, Shanti Kunj Garden and Rose Garden in Sector 17, areas of Sector 39 that are frequented by Punjab ministers and bureaucrats. Police presence was noted in the area and a few persons found walking were being let off after a warning.

The Shanti Kunj Garden in Sector 16, Chandigarh, wearing a deserted look on Thursday. (Keshav Singh/HT)

On Thursday, police rounded up 359 and arrested nine persons in seven cases of curfew violation by stepping out of the house for a walk or without wearing a mask.

Since April 10, the police have arrested 156 walkers in 40 cases, and more than 800 persons have been let off after a warning including bureaucrats from Punjab and Haryana. Yesterday alone, six persons were arrested for stepping out of their house and 347 were rounded up. Station house officers (SHOs) at police stations have been directed to click pictures of those violating curfew orders.